Wall outlet and fitting



April 18, 1933. J. N. NIELSEN 1,903,833

WALL OUTLET AND'FITTING Filed Jan. 15, 192 7 Patented Apr. 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH N. NIELSEN, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.

WALL OUTLET AND FITTING Application filed January 15, 1927. Serial No. 181,318.

This invention relates to wall outlets and particularly to room outlets provided in dwellings or oflices for the attachment thereto of fixtures, such as floor lamps, vacuum cleaners and the like.

' In modernv dwellings it is customary to provide a number of wall outlets in a room to give some latitude in arrangement of furniture. A common experience, however, is

that the outlets are not located to conform with a preferred arrangement, and as a consequence extension cords are used. Such extensions are apt to interfere with walking or other uses of a room, and present danger of being broken or cut with resulting short circuits.

The present invention has for an object an outlet of such a. character that it is possible to plug in at any point along a wall and avoid the use of extension cords. Another object is an outlet that includes a conduit and junction box so that line connections can be made thereto at a convenient place while supplying an outlet at any other desired location. An ancillary object is the provision of a fixture supported in conductive connection with the outlet so that a loose cord connector is obviated. These and otherobjects will become apparent from the description that follows.

Briefly described, embodiments of the invention for accomplishing these objects include a molding or its equivalent within which are two spaced conductors insulated from each other, the molding being slotted so that access may be had to the conductors at any oint along the length of the molding. T e molding may form part of or run along the upper edge of the base board of a room; or it may form a decorative horizontal band along the upper part of the wall alone or in conjunction with a plate rail, Wainscot paneling or the like. Incorporated with the molding may be additional features, such as lengthwise adjustable bars, to conceal the slots, or plugs slidingly held to limit access to the conductors. The lengthwise adjustment along the molding permits the use of a fixture including a plug element having terminals for engaging the conductors. v

In the accompanying drawin Fig. 1 is a section of an em odiment of an outlet on the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a section of a modified form of outlet;

Fig. 5 is a section of another modification;

Fig. 6 is a section of a third modification;

Fig. 7 is a section of an outlet for small currents;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a base for a fixture in conjunction with an outlet;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the base;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of another fixture mounting; and

Fig. 11 is a side view thereof.

The wall outlet shown in Fig. 1 comprises a molding including a strip of insulation 20 that has parallel contiguous and coplanar longitudinal slots 21, 22 in one side thereof and slots 23, 24 in the opposite side to form middle insulating partitions 25, 26, edge partitions 27, 28, 29, 30, and slot defining or bridging walls 31, 32. For the slots 23, 24 there may be substituted circular recesses, as shown at 23' in Fig. 2. Within the slots 21, 22 are metal conductors 33, 34 extending the length of the slots; each conductor has a base portion 35 resting against the bottom of the slot and a reverse bend portion 36 shaped with longitudinal contact edges 37, 38 extending into the slot space for gripping engagement with the prongs of a plug. The conductor is preferably of spring metal to resist distortion and return to its original conformation. At intervals the base portion is secured by screws 39 extending through openings 40 in the wall 31 or 32; for this purpose the base portion can be thickened as by nuts 41 soldered or otherwise formed on the base portion. A sheet of fiber insulation 42 closes j Circular openings provide for the passage of a lead to a screw 39.

The molding may be used as above described by inserting the prongs or terminals of a plug anywhere along the length of the molding into contact with the conductors, but it is preferred to restrict access to the conductors. Figs. 1 and 3 illustrate bars or plates of insulation which are engaged by inturned edges 51, 52 of the jacket 43; perforations 53, 54 in one or more of the bars receive the prongs of aplug. These bars are arranged for removal and replacement as desired, and for this purpose can be made narrower than the insulation, with or without spacing strips 55 which may be integral with the insulation 20. When it is desired to change the location of a plug connection, a perforated bar is removed and the others shifted to provide for its new location.

In place of bars to conceal or protect the conductors and limit the plug connections, sliding plugs can be used as shown in Fig. 4. The plug, has a rectangular base 61 engaged by the jacket edges 51, 52 and slidable along the molding. The slot opening can be made narrow and limited to the thickness of a prong 62 or 63 by an insulation strip 64 or 65; other constructions can be substituted.

As a further guard against contact or unrestricted use of plugs, modified forms of construction shown in Figs. 5 or 6 can be used. In the form shown in Fig. 5 a sliding plate carries prongs 71, 72 to contact with conductors 73,74, and it is in turn perforated to receive the terminals of the usual plug; for contacting the latter the prongs have return spring sections 75, 76. In the form shown in Fig. 6 the conductors 80, 81 are metal strips of any suitable shape for contact with spring prongs 82, 83 extending from a sliding plate or plug 84; for holding or guiding the plate or the plug a removable insulating strip 85 can be used that is held in place by screws 86 and engaged by projec tions 87, 88 on the prongs.

Fig. 7 illustrates in cross section a molding adapted for use in conjunction with embodiments as above described. It is designed primarily for small currents, such as radio or telephone currents, and it is accordingly fitted to receive a jack. A spring metal strip 90 is separated from the casing 91 of the molding by an insulation strip 92 and riveted to the casing by insulated rivets 93. The casing, if metallic, can serve as the other conductor or a second strip 94 can be secured to the casing for this purpose. and it may be insulated like the first from the casing.

Sections of the molding can be connected into continuous lengths by providing one section with the insulation 20 projecting from its metal jacket 43 and the succeeding section with its metal jacket extending to engage the projecting insulation of the first section; the conductors can be made continuous by bonds 46 extending from a screw 39 of one section to a screw 39 of the next section, and these bonds can lie within the slots 23, 24. Other constructions can be substituted for this purpose.

The molding in its various embodiments can be used as above described or it can be used in combination with a fixture; such a combination is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. A molding is mounted along the upper edge of a base board and a finishing strip is secured in place above it; the latter may be the molding of Fig. 7. A base plate 100 of any desired design carries a plug 101 having terminals or prongs engaging the conductors in the molding. Hooks 102 or the like extend from the plate to support it from an upstanding edge 103 on the finishing strip or molding, and a set screw 104 can be provided in the lower part of the plate to contact the baseboard for adjusting the position of the plate. A standard 105 rises from the plate to carry light fittings or the like.

The molding is useful in other relations, and Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a molding disposed at a suitable height on a wall. On this molding 110 is slidably mounted a bracket fixture 111 comprising a plate 112 enclosing a plug 113 and with one or more clamping screws 114 at the top for engaging an upstanding edge 115 on the molding and a screw or screws 116 at the bottom engaging a downwardly projecting edge 117 on the molding; the plate carries the fixture element 118. The molding can be applied exteriorly to a wall and thus used as a decorative band, or it can be inset or made flush with the wall; in the latter case spring clips 119 extending into the conductor slots, or expanding wedges or the like, can be used to maintain the plate in position.

Evidently the molding can be finished to correspond with the room where it is applied by painting or enameling. The insulation can be of any suitable material as porcelain or fiber, and the exposed portions given an appearance to accord with the effect desired.

I claim:

1. A wall outlet comprising a molding including an insulation strip having longitudinal parallel slots in one side thereof, conductors housed within said slots, longitudinal parallel slots in the opposite side of said strip, and connectors extending from said conductors into said last named slots for connection with power leads.

2. A wall outlet comprising a molding including an insulation strip having longitudinal parallel slots in one side, conductors housed within the slots, plates covering the slots, one or more of said plates having perforations to receive terminals for contact with the conductors, and coacting means on the molding and plates providing for manually operable interlocking engagement between the plates and the molding. 3. A wall outlet comprising a molding in-- eluding an insulation strip having longitudinal parallel slots in one side, conductors housed within the slots, plates covering the slots, one or more of said plates having per- 9 forations to receive terminals for contact with said conductors, and coacting means on the molding and the plates providing for manually operable interlocking engagement between the plates and the molding, said means permitting movement of said plates with respect to said strip to secure lengthwise adjustment of a perforated plate.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature JOSEPH N. NIELSEN. 

